Manly Beads and Hair Loopies
by crusanite
Summary: For your utmost pleasure, ladies and gentlemen, a series of Kataang one-shots. Rated T for potential raciness. Oh yeah, and a wee bit of violence. Muah ha ha.
1. Heavy Sleepers

_Greetings, friends! For the first instalment of this little collection of mine, I'd like a bit of delicious awkwardness mixed with some spicy older Kataang. Om nom nom. Enjoy!_

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Minus the echoing snoring, Aang and Katara continued to sit in silence for a while longer. Finally, Aang cleared his throat.

"It's… Uh, it's still pretty early," he said, moving away from the fire. "I think I'll go for a walk." Katara nodded dreamily. Her eyelids drooped. Aang smiled. "Are you really that tired?" he asked as he knelt beside her. She nodded slowly, her head lolling about on her shoulders like that of a rag doll. "Then are you going to sleep?" Katara started to nod, then, shook her head insistently. Aang laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Her head dropped onto his chest without hesitation. "And why not?"

"…I'll stay up till you come back."  
"I highly doubt that!" In her half-waking state, Katara became numbly aware of something warm and slightly scratchy being wrapped around her.

"Wazzis?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"A blanket, silly. What do you think?" Katara shook her head, now seemingly a little more awake, and attempted to push it off. "What's the matter?"

"Then you won't have one!"

"So? I said I'd sleep on Appa, he doesn't mind-"

"I mind."

"Don't worry about it!"

"Aang-"

"What's the big deal? I'm probably more used to sleeping on Appa than I am with a blanket anyway! And… You're shaking your head again."

"It's freezing. If you don't sleep near the fire you'll catch cold." Aang sighed.

"Katara I'm a firebender too, remember? I can keep myself warm!" Katara seemed a little stumped by this.

"Well…"

"So I'll be fine!" Katara was silent. Aang took this to mean that he had won the argument, and got to his feet. Suddenly, something hard, small and sharp rammed into his shin. "Ow!"

"What do I have to do to get you to share a blanket with me, huh?" asked, Katara, clearly very flustered. She rubbed her fist where it had made contact with his leg, and avoided meeting Aang's surprised gaze as best she could.

"Oh…" said Aang awkwardly. He was suddenly very glad it was so dark, because he was sure that his face now resembled a tomato. "Oh… Um…" The Avatar swallowed nervously, plonking down beside her. "You could… I, er, I guess you could have… Well, you know… Just… asked." Katara shrugged. Still refusing to look at him she wordlessly passed him the other edge of the blanket. Aang took it, murmuring thanks. An uncomfortable silence ensued, during which both became increasingly aware of the remarkably painful jarring of their shoulders. Katara was the first to speak.

"You know," she said slowly. "This kind of hurts." Aang grunted in agreement.

"I, uh, I guess I could… You know…"

"Yeah."

"So you wouldn't mind if-"

"No."

"Okay, just, well, because it's uncomfortable…" Gingerly, Aang wrapped an arm over Katara's shoulders. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you… What about your walk?"

"Oh… Uh, I guess I'll do that later. Maybe."

"Wow, you're hot." The Avatar gaped. It felt as if the bottom had just dropped out of his stomach.

"W-what?" he stammered, eyes wide.

"You're actually really, really- Ow!" It had taken him a moment to figure out what she was talking about. When he finally did, his cheeks flushed even darker with embarrassment.

"Oh, sorry! Sorry!" Katara laughed, finally meeting his panicked gaze: her own expression one of curious amusement. She rubbed her neck.

"Can't you turn it down a little? I think you almost set the blanket on fire. Then we'd only have two." He tittered uneasily. "Ha ha, yeah… Only two…" While Aang struggled to recompose himself, Katara turned her attention back to the little fire. It ducked and swayed in the relentless breeze, popping golden glowing motes from its depths like spores.

"It's nice to be travelling again," she said absently. Aang hummed in agreement. "Even if it's only for a little while…"

"It doesn't have to be!" Katara turned from the flames at last, to face a suddenly excited Aang.

"What do you mean?" she asked slowly. His eyes brightened, and the smile seemed to be permanently set onto his face. She couldn't help but return it.

"I mean come with me," he said quietly.

"Where?"

"Everywhere, of course." Katara beamed at him.

"Wouldn't you be busy, Mr. Almighty Avatar?" He shrugged.

"Sometimes, sure. But," he insisted. "Not all the time!"

"But most of the time." Katara sighed, and dropped her gaze to her feet. "I'd just get in the way." Aang opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "It's a wonderful offer though, thank you." Then Katara's hand was on the side of his face, holding him in place while she brushed her lips against his in a gentle kiss. "Really," she said, smiling sadly as she drew away.

Aang gaped at her, his cheeks cherry red, eyes wide and shining with shock. His mouth had fallen slightly agape and a small choking noise escaped his throat. But Katara, focused on the campfire again, didn't notice this. Had she, she might have gotten wind of what was coming.

As it happened, the only warning Katara received were warm fingers on the back of her neck. She looked up, just as the fingers tightened and gently pulled her head back to face him. Then Aang's mouth was on hers, hot and heavy.

Instinctively she threw her arms about his shoulders, kissing him back with as much pent-up passion and hunger as she could muster, which still didn't seem to be able to match his.

Luckily, Toph and Sokka, spread eagled on the other side of the campfire, were heavy sleepers.


	2. Did you hear?

Ba Sing Se was beautiful at dusk. As the sky darkened, the paper lanterns hanging above the streets flickered to life, bobbing lazily up and down on their wires like thousands of little green fish in a vast purple ocean. With the arrival of spring it was now warm enough for the nightlife to become active, and people began to trickle out onto the cobbles, chattering loudly amongst themselves.

"...Oh yes, yes, I hear it's all the rage!" drawled a tall woman.

"You don't say? I hear it was involved in a few rather scandalous affairs a few weeks ago... I can't say for sure, as my husband had taken me our villa by the seaside." Though the second woman was as tall and thin as the first, she had a distinctly more cheerful expression.

"Indeed, my dearest, I was here! I heard about the whole thing!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes! Of course, not directly... I heard it through the servants. I know they tend to gossip, but there were a few gentlemen at Jai Wong's party last Saturday who positively confirmed the rumours! Every word!"

"Oh, how gorgeous! I do wonder if they may in fact be there tonight!"

"Of course, darling! And you'll never guess who owns the place-"

"-Oh, I heard, I heard! Apparently he's quite handsome..."

"I take it the seaside didn't go well then." The woman flicked a hand over her ear dismissively.

"As can be expected. He's a dirty old man!"

"I say! Yet it seems you have a taste for dirty old men!"

"Oh how dare you! But, it's true, of course."

"Here we are..." The women shuffled delicately up the last of the sandstone steps. The street levelled out into a neat stone courtyard, with a still square pool in the centre. On the opposite side of the pool stood an elegant green building with large round windows. Only a single lantern hung above the otherwise dark and empty doorway, and the low stub of a candle flickered behind one of the blinds.

"Oh bother," pouted one. "It's closed."

"And we walked all that way too!"

"My best shoes are practically worn at the toes after that trek!"

"I do declare, next time we must call a little earlier, and perhaps not be quite so foolhardy as to walk!"

"Hear hear, my dear." With that, the two ladies descended the steps, noses high in the air, leaving The Jasmine Dragon out of sight and mind.


	3. Bikong

Bikong didn't like to concern himself with other people's business.

He had his own duties to attend to, let alone worry about the issues of others. As one of Chief Hakoda's advisors in the departments of culture and heritage, he simply didn't have the time. Take now, for example: here he was, racing up and down the icy corridors of the Southern Water Tribe Palace (recently constructed too, so it was still difficult for him to navigate) in the dead of night the day before the Avatar was scheduled to arrive, still preparing. Bikong prided himself for his dedication to his job.

At the minute, he was carrying a large amount of scrolls, most of them lists. One was a guest list for a ball in the Fire Nation Capital, for which several more Southern Water Tribe members must still be selected to represent their nation. Bikong himself had volunteered. It was so out of his way, really. Leaving on such a trip would put him miles behind in his paperwork. But, if it was necessary for the wellbeing of the Tribe, then he would put himself out on the line.

Another scroll contained a list of rooms available for the Avatar to use during his stay. The palace contained many grand chambers, but they were still trying to determine which was the most spectacular.

Then there was the carefully composed schedule, which Bikong had laboured over for hours so that the Avatar wouldn't be idle for a moment. After all, such a grand personality who stayed so frequently couldn't follow the same schedule each visit, it would be far too dull! That, and the Southern Water Tribe had so much to offer in terms of culture! Why, Bikong would be ashamed if he left the almighty Avatar to simply lounge about.

Bikong frowned as he continued his trek through the hall, remembering an argument he had experienced today concerning his precious schedule. How dare she. Of all the nerve! Chief Hakoda's daughter or not, her insolence and lack of sensitivity towards the customs of her tribe were frankly despicable. When he was promoted, Bikong had reserved a mental note to warn Chief Hakoda against her headstrong ways. In the Northern Water Tribe women handled themselves much better.

Master Katara (he found her claiming of such a title traditionally reserved for men positively scandalous) had openly mocked him and his list in front of a large crowd this morning in the main hall. Frankly he had never been so insulted in his life! She had this ridiculous notion that the Avatar wouldn't be interested reading Water Tribe literature, or witnessing the collection of historical pelts of the Northern Water Tribe, here on loan for only a limited amount of time! Absurd. What could she possibly know of Air Nomad culture, and what they liked and didn't like to do? Just because she happened to be seeing the Avatar on a personal basis (another point with which Bikong strongly disagreed with. This childish carrying-on was disgraceful! With her outlandish behaviour he couldn't help but wonder whether she was in fact good enough for the likes of Avatar Aang), she thought she knew everything, did she?

Well, he thought smugly, clutching the schedule a little tighter to his chest as he walked. She'll see how wrong she is tomorrow.

Just then, as Bikong strode past a branching corridor, his sharp hearing picked up a strange sound: a muffled thud. He hesitated, straining his ears. Thud. There it was again. He sighed. After all, he didn't like to concern himself with other people's business.

He warily started down the corridor: the torches hadn't been lit, and as a result it was very dark. Then he heard another sound. Giggling. He picked up his pace, pausing only to light a torch. The sounds grew louder and louder until the corridor turned sharply and he found the source of the commotion.

The two lovers had sprung apart as the light blared out of nowhere, flooding the end of the corridor in a bath of orange. One he didn't recognise: a tall stranger in a hooded cloak. The other he did. Bikong narrowed his eyes. Master Katara. You didn't need to be a genius like Bikong to figure out what had been occurring.

There was a long pause. The pair appeared to be frozen in place. Then, Master Katara turned on the spot, stiffly slapping the stranger across the face. The stranger jerked back in shock.

"How dare you," she said loudly. "I am promised to the Avatar! Keep your hands to yourself, sir!" With one last glance at Bikong, she vanished into a room behind her, the icy door shutting with a crisp snap.

The stranger looked from the door through which she had vanished to Bikong, edging slowly to the opposite side of the corridor. He too slipped into a room in a similar fashion.

He lingered a moment longer, just to make sure they wouldn't be at it again the moment he turned his back. Satisfied, Bikong smirked. The Avatar's woman… He had always thought her to be a floozy, but now he was certain whatever little infatuation that had occurred was finished.

He turned on his heel, confidently sweeping back in the direction. All that time wasted…

After all, he didn't like to concern himself with other people's business.

A few minutes passed before the hooded figure dared to peer out of the room he'd taken shelter in. He crept across the corridor in a hesitant manner, ready to bolt at the slightest sign of the old man. He knocked softly on the door through which Master Katara had disappeared. In a sudden blur of brown and blue, she had spun him around and pinned him against the wall. She was breathing heavily.

"Why are you all wet?" whispered the stranger, baffled. Katara scowled.

"Because," she hissed through gritted teeth. "There's no room behind that door. Only ice. I had to melt a hole." The stranger tipped his head curiously towards the door.

"Really?" he asked. She sighed impatiently.

"Oh, Aang," she said grumpily. The stranger's head snapped back to attention. "You just met your new chaperon, Bikong. As you've probably gathered, he loves to concern himself with other people's business." The stranger groaned.

"What?" he whined. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly. He's got a whole schedule prepared, starting from the moment when you arrive tomorrow."

"Great," he grimaced. "Perfect, just what I need. Another person who knows exactly how I want to spend my time."

"Some of us have that formula down pat, actually," purred Katara. The stranger grinned, the flash of white teeth visible beneath the hood.

"One of them, at least," he consented. "If my whole week is booked, I think I'd better make use of what free time I have left, don't you?"

"Absolutely," she growled, wrapping her arms about the stranger's neck and slamming her mouth upon his.


	4. Oh

_**Romangst, blood and gore! Yay!**_

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For a moment, he was flying. In that split second time had stilled. It was a familiar sensation, completely out of place in the given situation, but comfortable nonetheless. He could almost say he enjoyed it.

And then it passed.

Aang slammed against the rock with a sickening crunch. Far away, he heard someone scream his name. It was a horrible scream, ringing with such pain and fear that his blood ran cold. He crumpled noiselessly to the ground.

He blinked slowly, gaping like a fish. Odd, he thought dimly. I can't breathe. His eyes slid closed. He was so tired, after all. It was as if he hadn't slept in years. It would all go away if he just…

What? Something was tugging at the back of his mind. Aang frowned, his eyelids opening just a crack. It was quiet, whatever it was. Perhaps he could just ignore it…

No, it was stronger now. He couldn't sleep, the little voice told him firmly. He still had something to take care of. What? Blood roared in his ears, but there were other sounds thrown into the mix. His vision swam, his limbs wouldn't respond, and his nose was filled with the stink of the dirt in which he lay, face down. His hearing would have to do.

Muffled rumbles from above. More screaming. What on earth was going on? Alarm gradually seeped back into his system. As his eyes slowly focused, he caught glimpses of shadows racing across a red canvas, running this way and that, bobbing and weaving. Occasionally the shadows would come together in a furious flash of light. Then, one would crumple to the ground, and the victor moved onto the next. Also, was it his imagination, or was the ground shaking? Slowly, painfully, all of these thoughts melded into a single word at the foremost of his mind.

Battle.

All at once everything came rushing back to him. Aang gasped, eyes widening in horror. It was as if he'd been struck by lightning, every nerve on his body suddenly on fire. Get up! He struggled upright, barely containing a scream as his ribs crackled beneath his skin. Aang winced and clutched his side as he used the cliff-face for support to slide him to his feet. His left arm swung limply, his forearm angled sharply in a direction that was wholly unnatural. Thankfully its entirety was numb at the moment, but already sharp little pinpricks tingled throughout. It wouldn't be long before his definition of pain would include a new entry.

Finally, with a great effort, he lifted his head, which had somewhere along the road turned into a dead weight. An intense wave of dizziness couple with nausea caused him to reel. He almost fainted again. But at last, flush against the rocky wall, he was standing.

The ground shook, and Aang's already weak knees buckled. He grimaced. Not his imagination then. He looked up, eyes flickering across the scene before him, trying to take everything. He noticed that some of the shadows were pressing their way through the others, getting closer. Fast. A knot of fear tied itself in the pit of his stomach, and he squinted. He watched one as it raised its arms, a wall of water flying before it, and at least a dozen of the other shadows flew through the air. The water vanished, and the shadow was running… Straight towards him.

"Aang!" It knew his name. He stiffened. Somehow, it knew his name… But there was something he recognised in that voice.

"Katara?" he croaked hoarsely, hardly daring to believe his ears. The figure cried out in relief. He very nearly smiled, before remembering the situation. "Katara!" He staggered half a step forwards. "It's no good, tell the others to-" At that moment Katara fell, shrieking in surprise, as another shadow's hands closed fast about her ankles. Something in Aang's chest jerked violently. "Katara!"

A rumbling crack far above his head was hardly enough to register in his mind at the minute, but it appeared to be so in Katara's.

"Look out, above you!" she yelled, kicking wildly to free herself. Aang looked up, and his breath caught in his throat. His right arm whipped skywards.

His arm shook with the effort of keeping the huge boulder at bay, barely a metre above his head. He laughed shakily. That had been close.

The smile swiftly vanished as his ribs, without the brace his arm had provided, shifted again. Pain. Unbearable pain, swamping all his senses. He snarled, dropping heavily onto his knees. The boulder lurched, rushing eagerly towards the ground. It ground to a sudden halt yet again, this time brushing against Aang's fingertips. His heart hammered against his chest as the massive chunk of fallen cliff edged closer. I can't hold it, he realized, panic stabbing at his chest. He was already growling with the effort, his arm trembling violently and dripping with sweat.

Then, he felt deep within him something snap, and his eyes widened with terror as the boulder fell.

It was dark when he opened his eyes at last. The chunk of rock cast quite a shadow. A thick silence now endured. No shouts or screams reached his ears, and the ground was still: the fight must have ended. Aang vaguely wondered how long he'd been under here for.

Something soft tickled his cheek, and someone else's heavy breathing was mingling with his own. He slowly brought his arm away from his face, staring up at the face barely a foot from his. Katara's hands, one on either side of his head, supported her weight as she crouched above him. Her hair hung over her shoulder, sweeping across the ground beside his cheek. The source of the mysterious tickling sensation. Katara smiled weakly.

"Gotcha," she murmured, a drizzle of crimson crawling from one of her nostrils.

They were surrounded by blue-white stakes of ice, each as thick as his arm. A few of them had been smashed in the initial impact, but the majority held the giant piece of rock a centimetre above Katara's back. His jaw dropped.

"Katara," he said, awed. "You-"

"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?" she said softly. She glanced down. Aang's eyes followed suit, and his heart stopped.

In her haste to reach him in time, Katara hadn't the time to calculate the position of the stakes. As a result, one had plunged itself clean through her abdomen. The tip was visible just behind her shoulder blades, still keeping the boulder at bay. It was stained a guilty red.

"Oops," she whispered. Aang stared back at her, horrified.

"B-but you… I… N-no," his voice cracked, eyes burning. "How could you… Why w-w-would you…" He swallowed painfully. This was unreal. Impossible.

"It's alright," she said stiffly. "I think the fighting's stopped."

He really wished Katara would stop smiling.

"You'll be okay," he muttered quietly. "I promise." Katara coughed, a horrible gurgling cough, and a thin line of blood pooled on the ground beside her hand.

"I believe you," she said, locking her eyes on his.

Settling himself, Aang took a deep breath and raised his one good arm.

"Aang," sighed Katara wearily.

"I'm going to get this thing off of us-" His muscles strained, but the boulder wouldn't budge.

"Aang, don't-"

"C'mon earth," he snarled desperately. "Why… Won't… You… Bend!" The boulder shifted slightly, cracking a few of the stakes. The thrill of victory was cut short, however, by a gasp of pain above him. He stopped immediately. "Katara?" Aang's voice sounded strange to him. Higher, thinner, weaker somehow. She whimpered.

"I don't think," Her breathing came in sharp, shallow bursts. "That was a good idea…" She wheezed, and it occurred to Aang that she was laughing. "We may be here for a while."

At first, he had called out for them as loudly as he could without causing Katara any discomfort, but by the time Toph finally found them Aang's voice had been reduced to a croak.

"Twinkletoes! Is that you? You sound awful!" The earthbender stumbled forward, arms outstretched as she staggered through the battlefield. She winced with each step. "Hold on, I'm coming! Some jerk had the nerve to roast my feet, sorry I couldn't be here sooner!" She scowled, her hands fumbling against the boulder. She nodded grimly, cracking her knuckles. "No problem. Hup!" The boulder flew into the air, landing with a muffled thud some distance away.

Katara sighed, dropping heavily as the ice about them melted and drained away. Aang moved quickly to catch her, wincing as his broken ribs complained. He pulled her into his lap, carefully pushing the hair out of her face. She was very still.

Toph stiffened. "Is someone with you?" she asked curiously. Aang didn't answer: he desperately searched the waterbender's face for signs of life, absently tracing the lines of her pale face with the pad of his thumb. Toph folded her arms grumpily. "Fine, be that way. You don't happen to know where Sugarqueen is, do you? My feet could really use some healing about now!"

Aang's mouth hung slightly open, and a stray tear rolled down his cheek. A cloak of dread settled over his shoulders. She can't. I promised.

"Hello? Earth to Aang? Thank you Toph, for rescuing me! Well, you're welcome! Next time I'll just let the rock squish you, if you're going to be like that!"

With a quiet sob, Aang buried his face in Katara's hair, his shoulders shaking. Toph gaped.

"Geez, I knew you were sensitive, but seriously? Wow… Uh, okay. I take back the part about letting you get squished. There, better?" She shifted uncomfortably as he continued to weep.

"Please wake up," he whispered against Katara's neck. She remained as limp as a doll. "Please…" Realization slowly dawned on Toph.

"Oh," she said at last, her expression inscrutable. "Oh." Toph stiffly seated herself on a stray rock, running her hand down her face.

As the fat pink fingers of dawn tugged on the horizon, the world was quiet, but for the soft wails of the last airbender.


	5. Mango

Katara woke to sunlight streaming onto her pillow. Her eyelids fluttered open and she lay still, blinking while she waited for her eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. The faint chirping of birds caught her ears, and a cool breeze blew through the open windows to wash over her face. Long pale curtains billowed before them gently, lazily curling in the air like seaweed. It was deliciously warm under the blankets despite the fact that (it had dimly occurred to her as she shifted slightly) she was naked. Katara smiled groggily, rolling over to face the significantly empty space beside her.

She felt a small pang of disappointment. All the same, she tugged a hand from under her pillow and placed in on the vacant sheets. They were still warm. Suddenly, a small noise from the end of the bed caught her attention.

Pulling the blankets about her nude form, Katara wriggled upright, leaning against the headboard. Her still-focusing eyes searched the room, finally falling on a figure who was hopping backwards in a valiant effort to pull on his boots. She giggled, and his startled face snapped up to face hers, just as he slipped on the hem of the carpet and tumbled with a crash onto the floor. Katara crawled to the edge of the bed and curled her fists under her chin, propping herself up by her elbows.

"Good morning," she said cheerily. "I was afraid I'd missed you." A disembodied groan was her answer. "

"I was trying not to wake you," he said weakly. "I'm sorry." Katara arched an eyebrow.

"Wow, you work pretty fast."

"What? No, that's not what I meant!" His head popped into view suddenly, staring at her in alarm. He rested his chin on the mattress. "I hoped I could rustle up some breakfast. It was going to be a surprise, but…"

"But I woke up." He hummed in agreement.

"However, now that you're up this actually solves a problem," he said seriously. "You see, I had something I needed to ask you, and now seems like the perfect opportunity…" Curious, Katara wriggled a little closer.

"Yes?" He eyed her warily.

"Mango," he said darkly. "Or Papaya?" Katara laughed.

"What do you think?" He pondered this.

"Mango?"

"Mango."

"Mango," he said, beaming. He pulled himself upright, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. Katara's eyes slid closed, and she smiled. "Now," He bounced onto his feet, backing away from her without breaking eye contact or the huge grin plastered across his face. "I'll be right back. Don't move, okay?"

"Okay," she chuckled. "Oh, wait! Aang!" The Avatar poked his head about the doorframe.

"Yeah?"

"You're wearing my pants."


	6. Post Puppetmaster

They had set out immediately after that. Toph complained that it was way too late to travel, and Appa hadn't seemed too keen to get going either.

Though she clearly had a point Sokka told the unimpressed earthbender that they had a schedule to stick to, and so they would move on.

Aang was glad Toph didn't press the matter. He cast a concerned glance over his shoulder towards the so far silent member of the group, only to see that she hadn't moved: huddled in the back of the saddle and watching the forest roll behind them. Toph was snoring loudly (having given up on conversation hours ago), spread-eagled in the middle of the saddle, and Sokka had surrounded himself by a small fortress of bags, maps, and sleeping rolls. He was awake as well, polishing that sword of his with a set expression in his face. Sokka heaved a sigh, and carefully laid the weapon across his knees.

"So… You wanna talk about it?" he asked quietly. Katara pulled the blanket a little tighter around her shoulders. "No," she said bitterly, staring blankly at her feet. "No, not really."

"If you're sure..." Sokka settled down into his barricade and closed his eyes. "Okay then. Try to get some sleep."

Appa grumbled beneath them, and Aang swung about atop the bison's great furry head to face forwards once again.

"Don't worry, buddy," he smiled, leaning forward to scratch the corner of the great fuzzy arrow beneath him. "Just a little longer, until we can get out of this forest…" He raised his head to scan the horizon. The smile faded from his face. Before them stretched what appeared to be an endless sea of trees.

"If Appa's tired, it doesn't make any sense for us to keep going. We should land soon." Aang started at the sound of Katara's voice directly behind him.

"Oh," he said hastily. "No, Appa's okay, he's good for another few hours, right boy?" The bison growled, and Aang tittered uncomfortably. "See?"

She sighed. "Um, look," she began in a low voice. "Aang, I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate it and all, but I'm fine."

Aang gave her an unconvinced look. "Well…"

"Really," she pressed. "Appa needs rest too."

Aang sighed heavily. "You're right." he said at last. Appa didn't need telling twice: in fact, he had already begun to descend towards the treetops.

They landed in a small clearing littered with pine needles. Toph mumbled incoherent insults when she was roused, dragging her feet to the edge of the clearing and dropping to the ground.

"Don't you dare wake me up before sunrise again," she muttered, and with that promptly vanished behind the walls of an earth tent.

Appa didn't wait for his saddle to be removed. His limbs spread out like a starfish, the air bison had fallen into a deep sleep the instant his feet had touched the ground.

No matter how many times he tried to wake him Sokka wouldn't budge, and so Aang left him to snore in the saddle, Momo curled into a tight ball beside him.

"Do you want a-"

"No, we shouldn't bother."

"Oh… Okay." Aang quickly pocketed the spark rocks, settling onto the ground. He watched Katara, still standing, as she seemed to be on the verge of saying something. As he opened his mouth to encourage her, she shook herself and sat down.

"Goodnight," she said stiffly, after a moment's hesitation. Her eyes flickered in his direction, before she rolled over onto her side, facing away from him.

Aang stared at her back for a while. He drew his knees to his chest, struggling to find the right thing to say. At last he spoke, echoing her words: "It's okay to feel, you know." His heart went out to her as she visibly flinched. He had been there.

"Goodnight, Aang," whispered Katara. She seemed to shrink into herself a little.

Silence.

Aang's head buzzed as he tried to think. How was it that she could always find something to make him feel better when he was down? They were supposed to be best friends: surely it could work both ways! Then why couldn't he think of anything? Come on, he told himself furiously, what good is being the Avatar if you can't access some of that thousand year old wisdom? Well, maybe if he started something then it would all flow smoothly from there. He highly doubted it.

"Uh, Katara?" It took her a minute or so to answer.

"What?" she asked glumly. Aang wondered if his roughly-concocted plan would work at all.

"Can you, uh… Could you do me a favour?" he said clumsily, watching her anxiously.

She sighed, flipping over to face him. She forced a smile. "Of course, anything." Perhaps he might just succeed.

"Could you… Possibly, maybe… Sit up?" Katara looked at him curiously.

"Sure," she said warily, propping herself up on her elbows. "Why?" Her eyes followed him as Aang got to his feet, shuffled across the clearing, and sunk to his knees on the ground before her. They stared at each other for a moment.

"It's no good you know," he murmured. Having an inkling of what he was about to say, Katara's eyes widened a little in fear. Then, she shut him out.

"What are you talking about?" she snapped, breaking eye contact.

"I think I know you better than that."

"Better than what?" she growled, shooting him a venomous look. "Look, I have no idea what you're-"

She gasped as, suddenly, Aang's arms were about her neck in a tight hug. She remained limp with surprise.

"I'm so sorry she made you do that," he whispered into her ear. "But you're not like her. Not one bit. You're not Hama, and you never will be. So please, Katara. Please stop thinking about it." At last, long-awaited tears spilled over her cheeks.

"Who said," she sobbed. "Who said anything about me thinking about-"

"It's okay, Katara." He paused a moment. "We're here for you, all of us. Toph, Sokka, Appa and Momo… And me." He smiled as he felt her arms hesitantly creep about his shoulders.

"Appa and Momo too, huh?" murmured Katara.

Aang chuckled softly. "Appa and Momo too."

"And you?" Her voice was quiet: serious. She buried her face into the side of his neck.

Aang swallowed. "Always."


	7. Chattymonkey5859's The Beach

WRITING SOMETHING. FWAH.

Don't look at me like that. It's good practice.

Sokka squinted at his sister with scrutiny. He raised a hand, shielding his eyes from the midday sun that winked upon the surface of the water. He frowned. Cogs were whirring. They could come to no logical conclusion. The question must be asked.

"Why are you doing that?"

Katara fell silent. She stopped in the mid-wringing of her hair, staring at her brother lying in the water beneath her with a blank expression. Somewhere behind her Toph groaned in relief. Katara had been lecturing her on the benefits of hygiene for the last twenty minutes.

"Thank you!" growled Toph, reclining against her rock. She tucked her arms behind her head. "She's been at it for ages! Not to mention she's in a foul mood!" Toph snorted. "S'not like I was listing anyway."

Katara shot a loathing glance over her shoulder. When her attention returned to Sokka her expression had lost none of its fierceness. Sokka waved his hands apologetically.

"No, not that," he said hastily. "Keep at it, she could really use a bath-" At this, Toph objected rather loudly. "-I meant the other thing."

Katara frowned. "What other thing?" She finished drying her hair with a final twist.

"There!" She jumped violently when Sokka shrieked.

"What?" Katara said, alarmed.

"There, that!" declared Sokka triumphantly, splashing to his feet and pointing at her. Katara stared. Sokka rolled his eyes dramatically. "The hair-twisty thing! You know…" He performed a very crude mime that looked a lot more like he was trying to screw something into his ear than wringing invisible hair. Katara watched him blankly for a few moments.

"Drying my hair?" she suggested warily. Sokka nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! Exactly! Why would you do that?"

"Gee Sokka, I don't know," Katara's hands dropped to her hips as she assumed a dry tone. "So it's not wet? Maybe?"

Sokka sighed in frustration. "But," he insisted. "You're a waterbender. Why do you always have to do it manually? Can't you just… Pull out the water?"

Katara blinked. Toph barked a laugh from above them.

"He's got you there, Sweetness!" Katara remained silent, but red began to creep into her cheeks. Sokka grinned and folded his arms in self-satisfaction.

"Well," spluttered Katara after a moment. "I don't see what you'd know about bending, Sokka-"

"Besides the point," scoffed her brother. "Admit it: you hadn't thought of it!" His smug expression quickly contorted into one of horror as a huge wave stretched into the sky, blocking the sunlight from his view. He squealed as it crashed back on top of him, flipping his legs into the air in a whirl of foam.

"Okay, Sokka," said Katara delicately, dusting off her hands as the embarrassed glare of her cheeks began to fade away. "I admit, you were right! Thanks for the tip."

Toph, who had been roaring with laughter the while, suddenly sobered when Katara wheeled to face her again. As the waterbender opened her mouth, Toph waved her hand dismissively.

"Whatever it is you have to say, I don't wanna hear it," she grumbled. "Water is not getting anywhere near me and neither are you and your stupid lectures." And with that, she promptly disappeared into a cocoon of earth.

Katara scowled.

"Toph!" she yelled. "Sometimes… Sometimes you can be so… So… So difficult!"

"Ooh," came Toph's muffled voice from beneath the rock. "Such harsh words! I think you hurt my feelings!"

"Why do you always have to be so stubborn?"

"Why do _you_ always have to be so stubborn?"

Katara howled in frustration. "Fine!" she screeched. "Fine! I'll get you out of there myself!"

Toph laughed. "Good luck! It'll take a thousand years for you and your dribbles to get inside here!"

"Why don't I just ask Aang to crack open your little hidey-hole, huh?"

Katara smiled nastily as Toph fell silent. She continued. "Because… Oh yes, that's right! I nearly forgot! He can bend earth too, can't he?"

There was a lack of certainty in Toph's voice that was very uncharacteristic. "Oh yeah? Well, I'd like to see him try!"

"I bet you would," said Katara cooly. "Aang, would you come here a minute please?"

Silence.

Katara glanced over her shoulder, scanning the lake. Aang was nowhere in sight. "Aang?" She raised her voice a little. Still no response. She frowned.

"I guess he's sick of you too, Sugar Queen!" cackled Toph. "Looks like I'll be in here for a while!"

Katara ignored her. A little drizzle of fear began to fill the pit of her stomach as her eyes searched the surrounding area.

"Aang!"

"Katara, what are you yelling about now?" called Sokka grumpily, tapping water from his ear.

"Aang's not here," she said quickly, splashing onto shore. Sokka scoffed.

"Of course he is, he's probably just-"

"He's not answering, Sokka! He always answers me! Aang!" Sokka sighed, steeling his resolve not to slap his hysterical sister and joined her on the rocks.

"Well, he's probably just out of earshot-"

"It's a condensed space! He should be able to hear me!" Sokka dragged his fingers down his face as Katara scrambled along the beach, calling for the Avatar.

"Aang! Aang, answer me! Aang!"

"What if he's underwater?" suggested Sokka. Katara whirled on him, her face twisted in horror. "What are you looking at me like that- Oh, no, I didn't mean, c'mon, he can bend all the elements! There's no way he- Oh I give up…" Sokka slumped onto the beach folding his arms. He yelped when Katara's leg clipped his back in her hurry to get back into the lake, pushing aside great arcs of water with frantic sweeps of her arms.

"Aang!"

The more Sokka thought about it, the weirder it seemed. Everyone seemed to get annoyed with Katara at some point, enough not to answer her when she was in one of her moods. Well, everyone except Aang. Bright, happy, overly-enthusiastic Aang. Always at his sister's beck and call, wherever and whenever. Heck, he'd even been on the other side of the continent and heard her when she'd been in trouble, back in Ba Sing Se... Sokka quickly suppressed those memories. So why wasn't he answering her now?

Maybe, just maybe Aang was in trouble. Sokka frowned as he considered the possibility. Captured? They were in Fire Nation territory. It was possible. But they had been so careful, and Aang wouldn't have gone without a fight. What if he'd hurt himself? Hit his head? The kid could be bleeding somewhere… That thought was more awful than the first. No wonder Katara was panicking.

So Sokka got to his feet, and yelled above his sister's cries and the deafening splashing.

"Aang! Where are you, buddy?"

There was a loud rumble as Toph's rocky wall descended back into the black volcanic stone from whence it came.

"What's going on?" she asked. When she received no answer, Toph became impatient. "Hey! Sokka! What's happening? Are we leaving?"

Sokka stopped yelling Aang's name long enough to give Toph a serious look. "Hello?" she growled, folding her arms. "Speech required?"

"We can't find Aang," said Sokka gravely. "Katara thinks something could have happened to him." Toph sighed impatiently.

"Well he's out of ear-"

"Tried that."

"Okay, he's underwat-"

"That didn't help at all."

She hesitated, and Sokka watched as a twitch in the corner of her lips betrayed concern.

"Fine," she grunted.

"Aang!"

"Aang! C'mon, Katara's getting worried!"

"Oi, Twinkletoes, we're dying here!"

They searched for a little over an hour, without success. Then, suddenly, through all of everyone's yelling and splashing, there came a voice:

"Hey guys! Did you see-" The rest of Aang's question was cut off by a choked cry from Katara as she flung her arms around his neck. His eyes widened in surprise and his brow quirked curiously, but he returned the hug nonetheless.

Onshore Sokka and Toph breathed a mutual sigh of relief. Sokka cast a glance at the earthbender by his shoulder. Despite it all she had been concerned. That's a relief, he thought dryly, I was wondering if she had any feelings at all. Toph proceeded to smirk. Presumably some witty remark was about to be made-

The slap resounded, just like Katara had said, about the highly acoustic volcano core so clearly that even blind Toph had no difficulty in deciphering what had happened.

Sokka's jaw dropped.

Toph, despite her lack of sight, widened her eyes.

The only person who looked more surprised than the two onshore was Aang, his mouth half open and sporting an angry red mark on his cheek.

Katara glared at him. She was breathing heavily and her fingers had since curled themselves into tight little fists. Aang began to stammer an inquiry, looking for help in Sokka's direction.

"Look at me." Aang swallowed anxiously, and turned back to Katara. He started: she looked livid. He quickly dropped his gaze to his feet, somewhere in the cool blue water below his waist. "Look at me!" Aang's eyes shot up to meet hers on their own accord. "Don't you ever," continued Katara in a dangerously low voice. "Ever, ever do that again, do you understand me?" Aang opened and closed his mouth. "Aang!" He shook his head, mystified.

"Katara," he stammered. "That hurt, why did you… What did I do?" Katara's eyes popped, and on the sand Sokka and Toph winced in anticipation.

"Toph, Sokka and I," she continued in the same soft tone. Somehow it was worse than shouting. "Have been looking for you for an hour. An hour, Aang. Do you have any idea how worried we've been?" He paled in comprehension. The Avatar's brow creased guiltily and he opened his mouth to speak, but Katara continued, her eyes boring into his. "We're in the Fire Nation now. The Fire Nation! Do you have any idea how much danger you're in, whether you're in disguise or not?"

Aang lunged at the opportunity as Katara inhaled shakily.

"Of course I do, I wasn't-"

"Firstly," Katara charged onwards. "You fly off in the middle of a storm over open waters without telling anyone. You could have died! Then you wander off in the centre of that first town we visited. We were looking all day, I was worried _sick_, and where were you? You were playing hide and go seek?"

"Hide and explode, actually-"

"We thought you'd been captured! And then you vanish on us again today! With all of your tattoos visible! This isn't a joke, Aang! Do you know what would happen if they found you?

"Of course, of course I do, can I just-"

"You're the Avatar! What do you think they'll do to you if they capture you? Give you a rap across the knuckles and send you on your way? The Fire Nation is ruthless! Think of Azula and her cronies! What about Zuko? Isn't he just as cute and cuddly as a baby tiger seal? And Ozai, huh? Are you expecting to be best buddies? Or do I need to remind of what they've done. What they 've done to my mother?" Sokka made a strange gasping noise, but was silenced by an elbow in the ribs from Toph. "Don't you remember what they did to your people-"

"Of course I do!"

The final syllable of Aang's remark echoed through the volcano. Aang and Katara were glaring at each other, each ready to knock the teeth out of the other.

Toph let out a low whistle. Beside her Sokka remained stiff and coiled like a spring, ready to intervene. Not that he could do much, anyway.

It was the first time that Sokka and Toph had ever seen Aang yell at Katara. Not that she hadn't had it coming, thought Toph, she was way out of line. Katara seemed a little surprised too.

Aang shook his head in disbelief, and appeared to deflate a little.

"How could you say something like that?"

Katara paled. How could she have said something like that? How could he ever forget? But she couldn't bring herself to say a word.

After a few moments Aang dropped his gaze. "You know what?" he muttered. "Forget it." Aang parted the water before him with a violent thrust that caused both Toph and Sokka to leap backwards. Aang stomped across the wet stone, whirling around to face a still speechless Katara when he reached the rocks. "I'm just getting out now, if that's okay with you!" Without waiting for an answer he dropped his arms and let the waters slam back upon themselves.

"Well," muttered Sokka as the Avatar stomped past him. "So much for a relaxing afternoon in the sun."

To say that the remainder of the day was tense would have been a severe understatement.

Toph and Sokka had to keep up a falsely cheery conversation between themselves, something which they had little experience in. Not that they didn't get on well, it was just that they'd never been in a situation where they weren't the members of a social blowout.

"I don't think I've ever seen them fight before," said Toph slowly. "Ever!"

"Tell me about it," said Sokka absently, flicking at a pebble beside his knee into the water. He watched the ripples slowly, lazily expand, until a distant voice screamed his name, followed by various criticisms.

"Sheesh," he muttered. "Touchy much? A few ripples and I'm accused of 'disturbing her meditation'."

"I wonder if she realizes she picked up those little meditation habits from Aang?" asked Toph.

Sokka pondered this.

"Probably not best to mention it," he said carefully. Toph grunted in agreement.

While Katara haunted the darkest corners of the lakes Sokka wisely came to the conclusion that swimming might not be the best thing to do. Toph didn't have any objections to this, since she couldn't swim anyway. She flatly refused Sokka's suggestion that he teach her. Besides, she told him, Katara had already promised to.

"Really?" asked Sokka, genuinely surprised. "And you're fine with that?"

Toph grimaced. "It was either that, she said, or you'd teach me. If I ever face water again, I want to live."

They didn't speak for a bit after that.

After a little while they discovered the whereabouts of Aang. He had managed to find the highest, pointiest pinnacle of rock possible, perched precariously atop in the lotus position. His back was to them, and his head was bowed.

They agreed to let him wallow in angst for a little.

"He seems to do that a lot, at any rate," mumbled Sokka.

"No kidding… Makes sense, I suppose. I mean, most of the time he's just so… Happy. It's not natural."

"That's true."

Since Appa and Momo had decided that they would side with Aang on this occasion, curling up under the said pinnacle and refusing to budge, Sokka and Toph simply sat. Sokka's few attempts at teaching Toph games had proved a total failure. Finally he grew impatient.

"Fine," he snapped. "I spy, with my little-"

"You're kidding, right."

"Oh- Never mind."

At last, after what seemed like an age, the sun began to set. Toph and Sokka stood on the shoreline, calling out across a pane of glassy water. Initially, with little success.

"Make it yourself!"

"Katara, if you don't make dinner, Sokka will have to and we'll all die!"

"Hey, I'm a good cook!"

"Fine, I'm coming."

Sokka sighed. "I hate you, Toph," he muttered.

"Hey," she said, slapping him so hard on the shoulder his knees buckled. "Thanks to me you get to fill that warrior's stomach of yours. Hate me not."

If Sokka had any hopes that dinner would cause the hostilities to subside, they had been in vain. Conversation was as absent as Mai's sense of humour. About halfway through the meal Aang appeared by the fireside like a ghost, causing the party to jump violently. Without a word he drifted towards the pot, slapped his bowl full of soup and floated back to the furthest corner of the circle. The silence was eerie. Not a soul dared to slurp.

Toph slammed her empty bowl onto the black rock with a resounding smack.

"Alright," she said gruffly. "I've had enough of this!" Everyone stared at her. Toph scowled, fixing her hands on her hips in a very Katara-like manner. She pointed at Katara. "You're being thick and you know it. Apologise!" Katara glared. After clearing his throat, Sokka tugged on Toph's sleeve.

"Toph, I don't think-"

"Back off, Sokka. They're obviously too hopeless to do this by themselves. Katara, apologise to Aang. Now."

Katara gaped furiously, casting a glance at Aang, who was looking intently at his feet.

"And while I'm at it," added Toph. "Twinkletoes? Grow a pair. Just because Sugar Queen here gets a knot in her knickers doesn't mean you have to sulk all day! I've been taking her crap since-"

"I don't see why I have to apologise to him," sniffed Katara, folding her arms. "He had me worried sick, he ought to apologise to me!"

"Katara," interjected Sokka. "Be reasonable, you said some awful things to Aang and he deserves an apology-"

"He disappeared again! Don't tell me you two weren't worried too!"

"Hey, Katara, this isn't about that it's about what you said to Aang! You've been in a foul mood all day, and I'm sick of it!"

"Toph, you're not making this any easier!"

"Back off, Sokka!"

"I'm not apologising!"

"Oh, that's it! Your butt is mine, Sweetness!"

"Toph, stop it!"

"Go ahead, see how easily I rub your face into the dirt!"

"I thought you were trying to get me clean! Sokka, get off of me!"

"Katara, sit down!"

"Okay, I'm sorry!"

The scene froze. Every eye was fixed upon Aang, now standing.

"Come again?" spluttered Sokka.

"I said I'm sorry," said Aang, averting his gaze, and rubbing the back of his neck. "I shouldn't run off like that. We've got so much at stake with this invasion plan, and I'm putting it all at risk by running off, in disguise or not. We should stick together, and from now on, I'll let you know where I'm going, if I have to go anywhere at all. I didn't mean to upset any of you, I know you're all just trying to look out for me. I'm sorry, Katara." He looked up hopefully at the stunned Katara, who was rooted to the spot. "So, is everything… Are we… Are we friends again?"

Suddenly, Aang looked panicked. Katara appeared to be on the verge of tears. Toph rolled her eyes.

"Wait, don't cry!" he said quickly. As she furiously brushed the first onslaught from her eyes Aang swayed awkwardly where he stood, unsure of whether or not he should comfort her or not. In the end he patted her on the shoulder, if not a bit uncomfortably. "Katara, what's wrong?" Katara bobbed her head up and down. Aang stared. "Uhh, Katara?" As the bobbing increased it evolved into ferocious nodding. "You're… You're nodding. Why are you- Oh!" Aang had the air knocked out of him as Katara pulled him into a rib-cracking embrace.

"Of course we're friends," murmured Katara into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry I said all… All those horrible things to you! I didn't mean a word of it, I just said it because I was worried… I was so scared that something might have happened to you, and I just couldn't… Couldn't…"

Aang was a little startled as he realized the level on which Katara cared for him, but nonetheless extremely pleased. His ears turned a very bright shade of pink, and he was glad for the darkness.

Half an hour later when the fire had been put out and everyone had unrolled their sleeping rolls, Air Bison and earth tents, Toph whispered into the darkness.

"Sheesh, talk about an emotional roller coaster. Can you believe those two? It's like travelling with an opera! So much drama…"

"Tell me about it," Sokka whispered back. "I can't wait till Katara hits puberty…"

"She hasn't hit puberty yet?" hissed Toph.

"Goodnight, Toph."

"I am _so_ going to have nightmares…"


	8. A very different Beach

Even waterbenders need to breathe.

Katara broke the surface with a gasp: she'd been submerged for almost a minute after all. There had been a moment back there when she'd wondered if she'd make it to the end of the particularly long tunnel, but she had trusted him and it had paid off. Where she was, exactly, she wasn't sure. Some kind of air pocket, she assumed, like the one she had just left.

The (thankfully) extinct volcano was riddled with tunnels, most of them flooded. Sooner or later they all seemed to spill back into the lake, as Katara had discovered over the course of the afternoon. This was the only one that so far appeared to be breaking that pattern. Though it surely meant a long journey back, the deeper she swum into the bowels of the volcano the more excited she became, half expecting to stumble across some lost treasure or the remains of an ancient civilization. Or something silly like that, anyway.

The only source of light was a faint blue glow from beneath her. Katara looked up, squinting into the darkness, but was unable to make anything out.

A splash beside her announced the arrival of the tunnel's discoverer. Like her, he was quite out breath.

"Katara?" he spluttered.

"I'm here!" she replied, moving towards the sound of his voice.

"Oh, good," he said. "Thanks for waiting!"

She titled her head curiously. "You're the one who is supposed to be showing me the tunnels, why do you always follow me?"

"You'll see," he said mysteriously. "So what do you think?"

"Think?" echoed Katara. "Of what?"

"Well, this is the place I told you about."

"Really?" Katara's interest peaked. "I'm sorry Aang, but I can't see a thing- Oh!" While paddling about in the pitch black she'd failed to calculate the risk that she might, at one point, bump into her companion. Which, naturally, she did. "Sorry!"

Aang chuckled. "It's okay. At least we each know where the other is now, huh!"

Katara agreed, if not a little bashfully.

"Right," continued Aang excitedly. "So what do you know about ice?"

Katara grinned. "I'm from the South Pole, remember?" She nudged his shoulder playfully. "I bet I know a lot more about it than you do!"

He nudged her back. "Fair enough, but I should have been more specific. What do you know about ice and light?"

She thought for a moment, wondering where this was going. "Well," she began. "Ice refracts light, kind of like-"

"A crystal," interjected Aang. Katara nodded.

"Yes, just like a crystal. You'll end up projecting every colour of the rainbow. If it's a smooth surface it reflects the light instead, exactly like-"

"Like a mirror!"

She giggled. "Hey, I thought you were asking me!"

"Sorry."

"Light is reflected on a smooth icy surface like a mirror, and it if it's in a crystalized form then like anything else transparent and crystalized, ice refracts the light. Is that what you wanted to know?"  
"Yes," murmured Aang. "Exactly."

"But you already seemed to know that, so why ask me?" Katara thought she caught a pale flash of teeth in the darkness.

"You first asked me why I swum after you and not before you," he said in an assuming tone. Katara smiled: it sounded very similar to Sokka's detective voice. "Now," he continued. "If you will, Miss Katara Water Tribe, dive underwater for a moment and look back down the tunnel…"

Katara did as she was told.

When she resurfaced it was again with a gasp, but this time one of surprise. "It's all frozen!" she said. "Like a zig-zag, what-" Her eyes widened. "Mirrors?"

Another glimpse of teeth. If she could see him properly, Katara assumed that Aang would be grinning ear to ear.

"Did you know," he said lightly. "That crystals form in volcanoes?"

Katara laughed as everything fell into place.

"Clever," she said. "Very clever, Mr. Avatar." Aang chuckled along with her, and then quite suddenly his voice was in her ear.

"We just need one more mirror for it to work." The words had barely registered when Katara felt a sudden chill about her toes as the water somewhere below them turned to a perfect, smooth disc. A soft blue radiance lit the chamber. And then, they were consumed by colour.

Off of every surface glittered a thousand different tones, some of which Katara had never seen before. It was like being inside of a diamond at the precise moment when it was struck by the sun. As she circled in the water, trying to take it all in, the ripples contorted the reflected light from the mirror below: the rainbow lights danced.

"Do you like it?"

She tore her eyes from the spectacle and fixed her gaze on another. The bright beams that drifted across the boy's face seemed to make him glow. He smiled, and a flash of blue twinkled in his eyes for a moment before being replaced by a different colour almost instantly. Katara couldn't bring herself to blink.

"It's incredible," she said breathlessly. "It's like the Cave of Two-" she stopped. Aang's face has just lit up with the most spectacular colour of all: bright red, and it had nothing to do with refracted light.

"That's what I thought," he said quietly. "And that's why… I thought you'd like it."

Katara smiled, feeling her own cheeks flare.

A moment of silence was shared as they mutually enjoyed the lights. Aang felt the back of his neck prickle, and he turned to find Katara watching him, wearing an odd expression. His eyes didn't leave her face as she moved across the pool towards him. He inhaled sharply as she raised a hand to cup his cheek, shivering as her fingertips trailed down his jaw. The wall of the tunnel was suddenly against his back. Underwater, his fingers curled against the winking crystals.

She was very close.

Katara's eyes fluttered to a close, and Aang swallowed hard as she gently pressed her forehead to his. For a long moment he was content to simply soak in her features, listen to her slow, even breathing and enjoy the sensation of the silky ends of her hair lazily curling against his bare skin in the water.

Ordinarily, his mind would have been screaming success, but for the time that Aang and Katara remained close together surrounded by sparkling lights in an air pocket under a volcano, nothing registered but the five senses. They swamped all brain functions, stirring up a warm, fuzzy feeling that filled him from tip to toe.

He forgot about the warm water rapidly melting the ice, he forgot about the long swim back to the lake. He forgot about Sokka, presumably having long given up on trying to get Toph near water, and about Appa and Momo fast asleep on the black rock. He forgot about having to check his Fire Nation disguise twice over to detect any arrows betraying his person when they eventually left the lake. He forgot indeed that they were in the Fire Nation, and about the invasion plan. He forgot all about the war, the Firelord, Zuko and Azula. For a split second, he forgot about the genocide of his people and the mammoth responsibilities he would carry for the rest of his life. Just for now, he was alone in a cave filled with sparkling rainbow crystals with someone who outshone them all.

As they remained against the wall in the gradually dimming light, Katara's hand still ghosting over his face, a mutual feeling of understanding passed between the two. Despite the fleeting kisses, the hugs, the hours spent in each other's company, the sweet gestures and the wild dances, only now did things seem, quite suddenly, different. Perhaps friendship wouldn't be enough to define Aang and Katara anymore. Aang smiled at the thought.

Katara opened her eyes, and met his.

Her fingers trailed around to the back of his neck, combing the short strands of dark hair that Aang was suddenly very glad to have. She drew a soft breath (he felt the air trickle past his newly exposed cheek), tilted her head and leaned in closer.

Aang's stomach did a somersault. Thudding like a sledgehammer trying to beat its way out of his chest was his heart, beating faster than he dared to count. His ears barely caught the soft splash as his hands settled upon her waist.

Nothing happened.

Aang looked up the moment he detected a change in her breathing. He whispered her name. As if she'd been struck by lightning, Katara suddenly jerked backwards out of his light grip with a splash, her eyes wide and her lips half parted. His brow creased in puzzlement.

"Katara?" he asked softly.

But the light was rapidly fading. The crystals grew dimmer and the colours faded away. The last thing Aang saw before the little cave was enveloped in darkness once again was a glint of uncertainty in Katara's eyes.

"Katara?" he called, louder.

She answered, saying something about meeting him back at the lake in an unusually high voice. Then, a loud splash, and she was gone.

Aang grimaced, whirling about and whacking his head on the wall a few times for good measure. It looked like it would take at least one more cave before he would get it right.


End file.
